Pick & Mix - Avon/West Hartford, CT

Pick & Mix - Avon/West Hartford, CT

I was in the mood for something different yesterday, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd had Korean, so I gave this place a whirl. It's basically Chipotle as applied to Korean and Japanese-ish food, except instead of a national chain it's just two locations, in Avon and West Hartford. You pick your base (rice or noodles), veggies (as many as you want, and a big selection that includes bean sprouts, radishes, and zucchini), meat or tofu, and various sauces. And egg, if you like. They also offer bulgogi, Korean-style fried chicken, fried/steamed dumplings, dumpling soup, and a few other things.

And six steamed pork dumplings for $4.45 (fried would have been $3.95), which is rather less than what I've paid at sit-down Japanese and Chinese restaurants:

The guy at the counter warned me that the spicy chicken was "really spicy" and advised getting half-spicy, half-regular chicken, but I dismissed this as it didn't seem like the type of place to offer true heat (I was right). Overall, everything was pretty good; I'd rate it a smidgen higher than the Chipotle/Panera tier of fast-casual. The shredded chicken was a little dry, but the oil and sauce compensated. I dined in at the Avon location, but they had one of the most forbidding, depressing interiors I've seen - any future visits would definitely be to-go.

I went to the West Hartford Location today. It was great! $8.95 + tax for the lunch special. I got the noodle bowl, soup and soda all included in the price. I told the server that I wanted it spicy but I did not want them to kill me. He got the spice just right for me.

We stopped at the Avon location a couple of weeks ago - the people there are really nice. My dinner not quite as good as last time, but I skipped the hot sauce, and I think that's necessary to give it some kick - it was pretty flavorless and boring without it. The dumplings, however - great!

My buddy Mark and I went to the West Hartford location today. We both had the spicy chicken with the noodles and veggies. Topped with teriyaki sauce. It was spicy enough to clear my sinuses but very tasty.